The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for providing illumination from a corner. More particularly, the present invention provides illumination from an apparatus attached to a corner of two connecting walls, thus providing illumination that defines boundaries of rooms, hallways, stairs and other indoor areas in low light or no light conditions.
The interiors of homes, offices, and other buildings frequently experience low light conditions. Low light or no light conditions in interior areas pose a considerable safety concern, as people moving through such areas can harm themselves through collision or fall.
Low light conditions can be the result of inadequacies in standard fixture lighting or can be due to emergency situations, such as power failure. In dark or dimly lit conditions, standard fixture lighting systems pose a problem in that they are often controlled by switches, that are often difficult to locate to turn on the desired lights. In power failure situations, of course, turning on a light switch does not usually remedy the lighting problem.
A further problem with standard fixture lighting systems is that the light provided by such systems are often inadequate for illuminating various structural features in an interior area, such as stairs and corners. Standard fixture lighting systems are most commonly placed on, or adjacent to, the ceiling of interior areas. The placement of lighting systems in such locations often results in the production of heavy shadows and other such unwanted lighting effects with regards to stairs and corners.
There are, of course, numerous emergency lighting systems currently available or power failure conditions, yet they all contain certain features which are undesirable. The most common emergency lighting system is one which is hardwired into the AC electrical system of a building, and contains a DC power source which is charged by AC electrical power. Such emergency lighting systems use AC power until a time when such power is unavailable. The systems then draw power from their DC source. U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,351 issued to Bavaro et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,365, 145 issued to Fields disclose such systems. The drawbacks to these types of systems, include, for example, complex installation requiring the emergency lighting system to be physically hardwired into the AC electrical power source in the building. Professional electricians are often required to install such systems. This makes installation of such systems expensive and time-consuming.
More importantly, most emergency lighting systems are often large and unattractive. The size and design of most systems is a necessary trade off for the functionality of providing enough power (usually though a large battery unit) for a light generating source to emit a bright light within a space. The size of many of these systems makes it difficult to mount them externally in stairs and corners.
Some prior art systems have attempted to specifically respond to the problem of illuminating, e.g., corners, stairs, etc., in low light or no light condition. These lighting systems designed to better illuminate such areas also often have many drawbacks. Such lighting systems are often required to be embedded in walls, stairs, and floors of the building itself so as not to obstruct the walkways of individuals. U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,714 issued to Rote and U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,468 issued to Shimada, both disclose lighting systems for stairs which require the systems be built into the steps themselves. Such lighting systems are difficult and costly to install in an existing set of stairs.
Thus, a need exists for an attractive and effective illumination device for corners which can function independent of AC power, is inexpensive, and is easy to install.